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"The City on the Edge of Forever" was the 28th episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, in the show's first season, first aired on 6 April 1967. The episode was written by Harlan Ellison, directed by Joseph PevneyMA and novelized in Star Trek 2 by James Blish. An additional adaptation was published, in the form of the first "Fotonovel" of the Star Trek series, using sequential stills from the episode with word balloons to re-tell the story. This volume was simply titled City on the Edge of Forever.

While the credit for writing the episode went to Harlan Ellison, several details of his draft script treatments were deemed unusable by the producers of Star Trek. Ellison was rewritten, and protested by submitting his original draft (rather than the rewritten filmed episode) for an award. Over intervening years, the convention and interview circuit played host to Ellison and Star Trek's producers re-telling the story of the re-writing process. In order to clarify points that were being misremembered or exaggerated, Ellison published his original script in 1996. He then allowed it to be fleshed out as a full-length Star Trek story, in comic form, by IDW Publishing in 2014, with art by J.K. Woodward. Titled Harlan Ellison's The City on the Edge of Forever, the collected edition of that comic was published on 17 February 2015.

References[]

Characters[]

Episode characters[]

Paul BatesClifford Brent[1]David GallowayGuardian of ForeverBill HadleyEdith KeelerJames T. KirkJohn KyleRyan LeslieLewis (USS Enterprise)Leonard McCoyRodent (1930)Montgomery ScottSpockHikaru SuluTakayamaNyota Uhura
Referenced only
Alnitak novelistWill BaileyGus BarnesBobby CabeClark GableAdolf HitlerAlfredo Pedillo JoseKiller KiddJean LabeauGus LloydMike MasonRicky MasonKid McCookCharley MulaneyManuel PradoFranklin D. RooseveltBuddy Sencio

Novelization characters[]

Davis (engineer)Guardian of ForeverEdith KeelerJames T. KirkLeonard McCoyRodent (1930)Montgomery ScottSpockNyota Uhura
Referenced only
Bonner the StochasticJohn ChristopherClark GableAdolf HitlerFranklin D. Roosevelt

Gong photocomic characters[]

Guardian of ForeverJames T. KirkEva LightLeonard McCoyMontgomery ScottSpockNyota Uhura

Starships and vehicles[]

USS Enterprise (Constitution-class heavy cruiser)

Locations[]

Planets and planetoids[]

Earth (Sol star system, sector 001, the galaxy's Alpha Quadrant) • Gateway (the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrants)

Planetary locales[]

Earth
New York City, North America (Brooklyn BridgeTwenty-First Street Mission) • San Francisco
Referenced only
AtlantisBangkokBoiseChinaEgyptGermanyHonoluluLee's SummitMissouriOrpheumOuter MongoliaParisSan DiegoThe SouthThailandWashington, DC
Gateway
Oyya
Referenced only
Orion's belt (AlnitakAlnitak planet) • Hell

Races and cultures[]

Human (ChineseHelleneGerman) • Vulcan

Technology and weapons[]

clockcuckoo clockhand phasermnemonic memory circuitphaserplatingrobotstone knives and bearskinstricordertype-1 phaserV-2 rocket

States and organizations[]

United Federation of PlanetsUnited States of AmericaWorld PeacewaysNaziStarfleet

Other references[]

20th century1907193019441970s2267alternate realityalternate timelineAmellicanAmerican historyanachronistic eventanatomyangelapronarmbandarticleatmosphereatomic bombbasementbologna • "Bones" • bootboxingbroombudgetcalendarcarcentcity councilclassicclothingcolumn (structure)combination lockconstellationscordrazinecotdiamonddisplacement wavedressduodynetic field coreenergyfascismFischer's Infants Wearfission bombflopFloyd's Barber ShopfurnacegasGodgoldGoodnight SweetheartGoody Two-ShoesgovernmentGreat DepressionGreat PyramidGuardian of ForeverhatHebrewHellhighwayhighway patrolmanhumanoidjacketjeansjumpsuitKirk's womenladderlifeformlogicMadison Square GardenMarch Bake Shopmattermayormilemissionarymechanical rice pickernation-stateneedlenovelistpantsplanetplastic surgeonplatinumraces and culturesRadio Corporation of AmericaRadiola 20saintshirtsilverSinger's Book StoreslumsquidspacestarThe Star DispatchStar of Davidstar systemsuturesweepingtechnologytectatylthemetimetime travelTLK computertobaccotoolboxtunicUnited States dollaruniversevacuum tubeVanguard Insurance CompanyVictor Ice CompanyVulcan neck pinchWalt's RestaurantweaponWidin Dairy Farmwood alcoholWorld War IWorld War IIzinc

Appendices[]

Related media[]

Comic adaptation[]

Titled Harlan Ellison's The City on the Edge of Forever, the comic was originally issued as a 5 issue miniseries, and was adapted not from the final cut of the episode, but instead from Ellison's original script.

Novel adaptations[]

Video releases[]

Background[]

The names of the two crewmen who accompany the landing party to the planet vary according to source:

Images[]

Episode images[]

Adaptation images[]

Connections[]

Timeline[]

published order
Previous episode:
Errand of Mercy
TOS episode produced Next episode:
Operation -- Annihilate!
Previous episode:
The Alternative Factor
TOS episode aired Next episode:
Operation -- Annihilate!
Previous story:
Operation -- Annihilate!
Star Trek 2
Blish2
Next story:
Space Seed
chronological order
Previous Adventure:
Errand of Mercy
Pocket Next Adventure:
Triptych
Previous Adventure:
Against Their Nature
Voyages of the
USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)
(2264 to 2270)
Next Adventure:
Triptych


Connections[]

IDW Publishing miniseries
TOS Klingons: Blood Will TellYear FourThe Enterprise ExperimentAssignment: EarthMirror ImagesRomulans: The Hollow CrownCrewMission's EndThe Wrath of KhanRomulans: SchismLeonard McCoy, Frontier DoctorBurden of KnowledgeKhan: Ruling in HellInfestationStar Trek—Legion of Super-HeroesHarlan Ellison's The City on the Edge of ForeverThe Primate DirectiveStar Trek vs. TransformersThe Motion Picture: Echoes IDW bulb
Star Trek (2009) tie-in: CountdownSpock: ReflectionsNeroThe Official Motion Picture AdaptationCountdown to DarknessKhanStarfleet AcademyThe Spectrum WarManifest DestinyStranger Worlds
TNG The Space BetweenIntelligence GatheringThe Last GenerationGhostsAssimilation²HiveDeviationsMirror BrokenThrough the MirrorTerra IncognitaThe Mirror WarWarriors of the Mirror WarHolo-Ween
DS9 Fool's GoldToo Long a SacrificeThe Dog of War
VOY Seven's Reckoning
DSC The Light of KahlessSuccessionAftermathAdventures in the 32nd Century
PIC Picard: CountdownStargazer
LD Lower Decks
SNW The Illyrian EnigmaThe Scorpius Run
Other TurnaroundAlien SpotlightAlien Spotlight IICaptain's LogWaypointThe Q ConflictAliensResurgenceDefiantPicard's AcademySons of Star Trek
Translations[]
1969
Japanese : 永遠の淵に立つ都市, translated by Makoto Sawa. (Hayakawa)
1972
German : Die Stadt am Rand der Ewigkeit, translated by Hans Maeter. (Williams)
1973
Turkish : Sonsuzluğun Bekçisi, translated by Reha Pinar. (Altın Kitaplar)
1975
Dutch : De Stad op de Rand van Nergen, translated by Jan Koesen. (Luitingh)
1978
Italian : La Città sull'orlo del Sempre, translated by Rosella Sanità. (Arnoldo Mondadori Editore)
1991
Czech : Město na pokraji věčnosti, translated by Jan Pavlík. (Práce & Bonus Press)
1991
French : La ville au seuil de l'éternité, translated by Paul Couturiau. (Lefrancq)

External link[]

  1. The character of Clifford Brent was not named in the episode but the same actor, wearing an officer's Starfleet uniform, was addressed as Brent in TOS episode: "The Naked Time". The same actor also played the character of Vinci.
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